Author
Topic: dodgy cattle dealings (Read 1088 times)

The workings of cattle registering are new to me and I think I'm being fed bulls**t.I have bought a Dexter cow with calf at foot. The Dexter is pure and has a passport the calf is a cross and no paperwork. I have just registered the movement of the cow on line but of course no record of calf.I phoned my mate who informs me the calf has an electronic passport, is there such a thing. The calf also is untagged, I know that is wrong and he should be.As I understand it the calf should have been tagged at birth and BCMS notified within 27 days of birth. The calf is 3 months old so as I see it I'm stuffed. Any help would be much appreciated.

robert waddell

it is a long time since we have had cattle BB but i think you are correct with the tagging of them also the traceability of the calf comes into question either you take the wrap for it or stick the seller in

Since 1 Aug 2011, BCMS have issued single page passports - we received one for each of our calves that we registered on-line with BCMS in April this year. The time limit for tagging for a beef breed is 20 days after birth or when the calf leaves the holding if earlier.

I think you will have to ring BCMS and get their advice - the calf must get tagged otherwise you won't be able to move it (and it really shouldn't have been moved) - so you can't sell it on or get it slaughtered later.

He says he has a tag for him will wait and see. Does parentage affect passport. The calf is a cross because the cow got into my mates neigbours herd and did naughties with a continental, but of course he doesn't know which, so we are in a father unknown position. Life should be so simple

If you can get the calf ear-tag number from your mate, you should be able to search for the number on CTS online via the 'View Animal Details & History' section. Enter the ear tag number (without dashes). If the animal is registered, you should see DOB, sex and birth holding.

If it is registered, you can then complete the movement on record for the calf & wait for your mate to give you the ear tags to complete the job.

You do not need the eartag of the sire to register a calf. You need the breed - or your best guess at it - of the sire, followed by X as it's a crossbreed, and the eartag of the dam.

The problem you will have is that you cannot register a calf as born on someone else's holding, they have to do that and put their own eartags in its ears, with their herd mark on them.

If the calf had been born at your holding, you would need to have your own herdmark set up (and no, it is not the same as your sheep flock mark nor pig herd mark ) so that you can order your own eartags and register and tag calves born on your own holding. It can take weeks, even months, to get your herd mark through.

I hope this helps.

I would talk to the vendor first, s/he may have eartags somewhere and be able to do the registration and then the move, which would be the simplest. Otherwise, unless s/he can think of something else, I would ring BCMS for advice.

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